Paul Hosford: Is a SocDems and Labour merger a fait accompli?

If the local — and subsequent — general elections don't go their way, the conversation of joining forces will begin

Catherine Murphy (left) and Roisin Shortall during a press conference announcing that they were standing down as co-leaders of the Social Democrats.

IT’S A question to which both sides of the answer bristle but one that has been given additional emphasis this week.

Every time a member of the Social Democrats or the Labour Party was encountered this week, either in the halls of Leinster House or the national airwaves, they were asked: When are purple and red going to coalesce?